Apparatus for flanging can-bodies



15A. GRAY. APPARATUS FOR FLANGlNG CAN BODIES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8, 1917..

SHEET 1.

INVENTOR. a]. Q7?

ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 26

3 S H E ETS in] g? WITNESS.

J. A. GRAY.

APPARATUS FOR FLANGING CAN BODIES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. a. 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

31 57 \V 32 28 l 40,4 z? 6 HM 5 J6 W 1 1 1 I INVENTOR. WITNESS. H Q

1 BY 4940 2/71 'fl J3 I 4 (r 7 14 -15; ATTORNEY,.

J. A. GRAY.

APPARATUS FOR FLANGING CAN BODIES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8. m7.

1,356,9 0, Patented Oct. 26,1920. I 3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

3'? 58 o nf ZZ Y'Z 35 52 4: INVENTOR. WITNESS. 55 J ((1 U9 jfl M% BY A. ATTSORNEY.

" meme gle UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. GRAY, or frnariorsdo, oALI'roRNI'h, "A'ss iorivoR "r0 mes-mire I COMPANSLOE sliivrah'noisoo, ciinrron- IA, A CORPORATION 01 New 'JEiasEY.

APPAim'rUs F R'FLANGI'NG CAN-BODIES.

x iicatin'fiid March a,

To all whom it may concern). I,

Be it known that IQ ALIESETG AY, a citizen of the United Statjes, residing at the city and county of San Francisco andstatje of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Flanging Can-Bodies, of which the following is a specification.

\ and further, in which there is provided an automatic control mechanism adapted to stop the operation of the fianging mechanisni shortly before the exhaustion of the can. bodies within the feeding means.

In order to comprehend the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is an elevation of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan View taken in the direction of the arrows on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.. A s

Fig. 3 is a partly broken vertical section taken in the directionof the arrows on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

F ig. is a perspective detail of the drive mechanism and the automatic control de vices therefor. v

Fig. 5 is a sectional detailof the driving clutch, taken in the: direction of the "arrows on the line 55 of Fig. '2. V

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional detail taken in the direction of the arrows on the line (i'-6 of Fig. 2, showinga can body entering the flang'ing means. v

7 is a section taken similarly to Fig. 6, showing a flanged can body bein discharged. from the flangin'g nieans.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates a horizontally disposed bed or frame, mounted upon legs 2, as shown in 1. The bed-1 supports, by means of suitable journal brackets 3, Fig. 2, four shafts 4:, 5, 6 and 7. allflying in the samehorizontal plane, with theiraxes fdrtn'ing .a 2 about bed. The shaft 4 is 1917. semi no. 153,310.

the drive: shaft, land carries upon lone end a pulley 8 for receiving power from an outs1desourcenot shown in thedrawings.

The shafts 6 and 17,. disposed perpendicuand 7; of the drawings, within which are carried sliding members 14; and 15, and 16 and 17. The slides 1 1 and 15, which are oppositely disposed, lie in the lower portions of said guide-ways 12 and 13 respectively, and the slides 16 and 17, whichiare likewise oppositely disposed, lie in the upper portions of said guide-ways 12 and 13 respectively, and are superposed uponthe lower slides 14 and 15. The lower slides 14 and ,15 have, at the outer ends thereof, upwardly extending lugs-18 and 19, respectively, one of said lugs being shown in Figs. (Sand 7, and both in Fig. 2, which carry laterally projecting cam following rollers 20 .and 21 Fig. 2. Similarly, the upper slides 16 and 17 have downwardly ext-ending lugs 22 and 23 at theiriouter ends, which carry laterally projecting carn following rollers fl- Land 25, respectively. p The slides are suitably recessed to make room for said lugs, so that all four cam following rollers lie in the same horizontal plane. Cam nieinbers 26 27, 2 of the drawings, are respectively mounted upon the shafts l and 5, in line with the guide-ways 12' and 13. The cam mernber 26 has formedin its opposite side faces cam grooves 28 and 30, adapted to engage the rollers 20 and 24 respectively, and thereby to actuate the slides14 and 16, upon which said rollers are respectively carried; Similarly, the cam member 27 has-formedin its opposite faces cam grooves 29 and 31, adapted to engage the rollers 21 and 25, and thereby to actuate the slides 15 and 17, upon which said rollers 21 and 25 are respectively carried. $ai'd cane grooves are, so formed that the lower slides 1 1 and 15 are simultaneously moved in opposite directions, and the upper slides 16 and 17 are' likewise simultaneously moved opposite directions. The re* lation between the movements of the lower pair of slides 14 and 15 and those of the upper pairof slides 16 and 17 will be presently described.

Rising from the center of the bed 1, and

supported by brackets 32, is a can. feed chute 32, F 1 and 3 of the drawings, adapted to convey a succession of open ended can bodies 33 from'a'ny suitable source of supply, not shown in drawings, and to position said can bodies horizontallybetween the reciprocating slides 14, 15, 16, and 17L The feeding of said can bodies 33 to said slides is controlled entirely by the slides themselves. The slides carry, on their adjacent or inner ends, can engaging jaws adapted to completely embrace and clamp a can body, near its ends, for the purpose of holding the same during the flanging thereof. The lower slides 14 and 15 carry jaws 34 and 35 respectively, Figs. 2, 3, 6 and 7, adapted to embrace the lower portion of the'can body, and the upper slides carry oppositely disposed jaws 36 and 37 respectively, adapted to embrace the upper portion of the can body, the four jaws meeting, when the slides are all at the inner limits of their movement, to entirely encircle the can body 33 and clamp the same, as shown in Fig. 3.

The upper jaws 36 and 37 are tapered on their meeting edges, as at 38, Figs. 3, 6 and T of the drawings. W'hen said upper jaws are sepa "ated or open, as in Fig. 6, and the lower jaws 34 and 35 are closed, the entire series of can bodies 33 within the feed chute 32 will drop, placing the lowermost can body 33 within the closed lowerjaws and 35. The upper jaws 36 and 37 are then closed, by the described mechanism, the tapered edges 38 thereof entering between said lowermost can body 33 and the can body next above, and lifting the stack of bodies within the chute 32 to enable said upper jaws to close. The can body 33 is now securely clamped, as shown in Fig. 3. Vertically disposed guide bars 39, Figs. 2, 3, 6 and 7, are secured to the bed 1 to guide the can body 33 endwise as it falls within the lower'jaws 34 and 35.

The ends of theclamping jaws, which lie slightly back of the ends of the can body 33, as shown in Fig. 2 of thedrawings, are formed with end recesses, into which the can body ends may extend and in which theyare bent outward, and faced with steel die plates 40, Figs. 2, 3, 6 and 7, over which the ends of said can body are flanged by the fianging dies. The said slides are constructed on their faces toward the can body so that the major portion of said surfaces is maintained out of engagement with the can body, being suitably recessed away from the body. This construction makes the manufacture and up-keep of the slides more economical, only a small portion of the slide requiring to be tion with the can ously in opposite directions.

the feed chute 32 until the shaped and reshaped for proper cooperabody. Said hanging dies 41 and 42 are formed with suitable faces 43 and 44, respectively, for entering the ends of the can body, and outwardly flanging the same, and are carried upon oppositely disposed horizontal slides 45 and 46, respectively, Fig. 2, mounted within suitably formed guide-ways 47 and 48 formed in the bed 1 at right angles to the guide-ways 12 and 13. The dies 41 and 42 are preferably removably mounted upon the slides 45 and 46, by means of shanks 49 and 50, which fit closely within sockets formed in said slides. This connection also permits the dies 41 and 42 to have slight rotative movement, relative to their slides, forself-adjustment, to insure their proper entry into the ends of the can body. Said dies are prevented from becoming entirely displaced by means of recesses 51 and 52, at the inner ends of the guide-ways 4'? and 48, within which said dies have free movement. The said rocessc' are rectangular andthe dies are also rec-- tangular so that the recesses will prevent the dies from having more than a limited rot-ative movement by the turning of their shanks in the slides. hen the dies are fully advanced they-embrace the guide bars 39, but the slots in the dies which receive the guide bars are of somewhat greater dimension than the latter so that the said slight rotative movement is not prevented.

The slides 45 and 46 carry at their outer ends, rollers 53 and 54 respcctivelyfl ig. 2 of the drawings, adapted to lie within and follow cam grooves 55 and 56 formed in cam members 57 and 58 fixed upon the shafts 6 and 7 respectively. By this means the dies 41 and 42 are caused to move simultane- After the can body 33 is clamped between the clamping jaws, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and previously described, the-dies 41 and 42 are moved inwardly into the ends of the can body, the faces 43 and 44 thereof flanging the edges of said can body over the die plates 40, as shown in Fig. 2. The dies are then separated, to'free the ends of the can body, and simultaneously therewith or immediately thereafter, the lower clamping jaws 34 and 35 are opened, as shown in Fig. 7, to permit the flanged can body 33 to drop out. The upper clamping jaws36 and 37 support the stack of can bodies 33 within lower jaws are again closed, whereupon said upper jaws are opened to permit the feeding of the next can body, and another cycle of operations is per formed.

The driving pulley 8 is not permanently fixed upon the drive shaft 4; The end 4 of said shaft carries a hub 60, Figs. 1, 2, and. 5 ofthe drawings, in which is mounted a dog 61, normally pressed outwardly by a spring 62, Fig. 5, and caused toengage one or a series ofnotches 63 intheinside of the hub 64 or" the pulley 8, and thereby to establish a driving connection between the pulley 8 and the shaft 4, the hubfil of said pulley being'otherwise freely rotatable about the hub 60 of said shaft. The end of the dog 61 projects Ibeyondthe inner end of the pulley hub 64, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and is adapted to be engaged and depressed, to free it from the notches 63 of said pulley hub 64, by a cam surface 65, Fig. 4', formed upon a lever 66. Said lever is mounted upon a shaft 67, Figs. 1 and at, journaled in a fixed bracket-6S. Said shaft carries an operating lever 69, connect ed by a link 70 with a lever 71 mounted upon a shaft 72 journaled at one end in the bracket 68 and at he other end in one of the feed chute brackets 32. An arm 73, fixed to and extending upwardly from said shai'tx'TQ, has a finger 74- which normally projects slightly into said feed chute, and is adapted to be moved aside by the can bodies 33 passing therethrough. 'VVhen saidfinger '74.- is in its normal position, shown in Fig. 4, and in full lines in 1, the cam .surface of the lever 66 is held in a position to engage the dog 61 to hold the same out of driving relation with the pulley 8; but when the feed chute 32 contains a stack of can bodies 33, the finger 74 is moved aside by said can bodies, and moves the lever 66 outot' engagement with said dog, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, so that said dog engages one of the'notches 63 in the pulley hub Get, as shown in Fig. 6, and motion is imparted to the drive shaft 4-.

Therefore, if for any reason the supply of can bodies is stopped, the operation of the machine will cease when the last can body passes below the finger 74-, as shown in Fig. l of the drawings, .and no power will be wasted in the idle operation of the apparatus.

The invention has been herein described and herewith illustrated in its preferred form. 'I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself in this regard, however, for the reason that changes may be made in the form and construction of the device without departing from the spirit oi the invention, but on the contrary, I wish to be understood as claiming the invention as broadly as the state of the art will permit.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine for the described purpose, means for Hanging a, can body, driving mechanism for operating said hanging means, guide members for directing said can bodies into the sphere of action of said fianging means, said guide members extend ing across the path of the hanging means andthe 'flang ingmeans being formed with recesses to receive said guide members, and devices actuated by the can bodies within said guide members for throwing said flang ing means and said driving mechanism into operative relation.

i '2. A machine for the describedpurpose, comprising means for receiving "andholding a can body tobe flanged, devices cooperat iugtherewith "for fianging an end of said can body, means associated with said flanging devices for controlling the operation thereof in accordance with the presence or absence of a can body to be flanged, and guides which hold the can bodies while they operate said controlling means and extend intolthe sphere of operation of thefianging means and locate the can bodies endwise until the'fianging operation takesplace.

3. A machine for the described purpose, comprising downwardly extending gravity feedchute adapted to convey a succession of can bodies, a pair of oppositely operating members adapted to successively receive the lowermost can body from said feed chute and having means to elevate and retain the remainder of the can bodies therein, a second pairof oppositely operating members adapted to coact with the first pair of memhere to embrace and clamp the can body 'when received from said feed chute, means for fianging an end ofthe can body while so clamped, mechanism for operating said second pair of clamping members to permit the discharge of the flanged can body therefrom before the entrance of the succeeding unflanged can body thereinto, and fixed guides for the ends of the cans extendint from the chute across the inner ends or said fianging means.

1-. A =machineifor the described puprpose, comprising a plurality of movable members adapted to embrace and clamp a can body, die plates carried by each of said members, said die plates being attached to the side "faces of and separable from said members and of L-shape cotiperating to form complete die rings encircling said can body adjacent the ends thereof, a pair of dies adapted to enter the ends of said can body and to coact with said die rings to flange said ends outwardly, and mechanism for operating said clamping members and said dies in timed relation. I

A can body hanging machine comprising means for holding non-circular can body, non-circular flanging dies adapted to enter the opposite ends of said body, and

su) )orting and actuatin alungers for said (A. b o

dies on which the dies are rotatively mounted to adapt themselves in position to the held can bodies.

6. A. can body flangingmachine comprising means for holding a non-circular can body, non-circular fianging dies adapted to enter the opposite ends of said body, supporting and actuating plungers for said dies on which the dies are rotatively mounted to adapt themselves to the held can bodies, and devices actuated by a preceding can body for maintaining said Hanging dies in open ative connection with their actuating means.

7. A can body Hanging machine comprising means for holding a non-circular can body, non-circular Hanging dies adapted to enter the opposite ends of said body, and supporting and actuating means for said dies relative to which the dies may have a slight rotative movement to adapt themselves in position to the held can bodies, said holding means havingend recesses in which the Hanging dies operate on the ends of the can body.

8. The combination with the guides 39 for the end edges of the can body, holding means for the end portions of the sides, top and bottom of the can body, and Hanging dies having recesses to receive said guides.

9. The combination of the Hanging dies,

the four slides each shaped at its end por-' tions to engage a corner angle of the can body and being recessed opposite to the in termediate portion of the can body, and means for operating said slides and dies.

10. The combination of the Hanging dies, and the four slides, the major portions of said slides parallel with the can body being maintained out of holding engagement with the can body, said slides having at each end jaws which are separable from the slides and cooperate with one another to grasp the can body tightly at the line of Hanging.

11. The combination of the Hanging dies, the can-engaging slides which are arranged to reciprocate at the angular corners of the sides of the can body, the major portions of which are maintained out of holding engagement with the can body, and angular jaws attached to said slides and operating to gras o the can body atthe line of Hanging.

12. n a can body Hanging machine the combination of means for Hanging the can bodies, means for feeding can bodies to said Hanging means, power mechanism for actuating said Hanging and feeding means, and devices actuated by the can bodies as they are fed for maintaining said power mechanism in operative connection with the Hanging means.

13. A machine for the described purpose, comprising a plurality of interworking members adapted to embrace and clampthe corners of a can body, and to control the admission thereinto and discharge therefrom of said can body, means for Hanging the ends of said can body while held by said clamping members, and mechanism controlled by the presence of a can body as it is being fed to said Hanging means for actuating said Hanging means.

14. A machine for the described purpose, comprising a feed chute adapted to convey a succession of can bodies, a pair of reciprocating members adapted to control the discharge of said can bodies from said chute, a second pair of reciprocating members adapted to coact with the first pair of members to clamp a can body when received from said chute, said second pair of members being adapted to control the discharge of the can body therefrom, and means for Hanging the ends of said can body while held by said clamping members.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES A. GRAY.

Witnesses:

N. A. ACKER, D. B. RICHARDS. 

